Create Economic Opportunities

The key to development is self-sufficiency. PADF focuses on generating livelihoods and improving incomes among disadvantaged people.

Although income inequality has begun to decline in Latin America, it remains the most unequal region in the world. The richest one-tenth of the population earns 48 percent of total income, while the poorest tenth earns only 1.6 percent. The inequality gap is enormous. Throughout the region wages remain low, unemployment rates have not declined, while informal sector employment has increased. Today, the employment problem in Latin America is one of the greatest challenges that governments face in the region.

PADF believes that the key to development is self-sufficiency. PADF&apos;s programs focus on generating livelihoods and increasing incomes for disadvantaged individuals and families through microenterprise development, skills training, agricultural improvements, natural resource conservation, and expansion of community infrastructure. Through various programs, PADF is working to create economic opportunities by:

Generating Employment for Disadvantaged People

Employment generation is one of PADF’s main priorities so as to enable self-reliance. Using a variety of approaches, our programs help support micro and medium-size businesses, provide skills training to youth and vulnerable people, improve agricultural conditions and techniques, expand and improve local infrastructure and focus on natural resources conservation. To assure maximum benefits, we work with local residents who are disadvantaged because of economic disparity, civil conflict, racial or ethnic prejudices and lack of access to basic opportunities, ensuring that our programs create the essential conditions for sustainable economic growth.

Developing Micro, Small, Medium, and Community Enterprises

For decades, PADF has supported local businesses with the goal of creating jobs and giving people access to additional income and increased wealth. This is why PADF supports entrepreneurs and the creation of micro, small and community enterprises as a way to improve the capacity of specific communities, particularly the most vulnerable, such as displaced and disadvantaged people. Our programs provide capacity building, training and technical assistance, helping communities implement alternative development and creating new income streams that contribute to their overall development.

Supporting Agriculture and Rural Development

PADF is an acknowledged leader in working with small holders and off farm processors within the value chain transferring technical knowledge of agricultural production and marketing, soil and water conservation, agroforestry, natural resources management. PADF’s agroforestry programs have helped community-based farming organizations raise the incomes of small producers through sustainable agricultural practices that promote soil conservation and reforestation. Such programs in drug producing countries like Colombia have provided peasant farmers with alternative sources of income that has discouraged coca production and drug trafficking and stimulated new export crops.

Protecting and Conserving the Environment

In many parts of the Americas environmental conservation remains a challenge not only in rural areas but also in urban settings. At PADF we believe that protecting and conserving the environment are not just good ideas, but necessary steps to ensure that communities can safeguard their ecological heritage as a way to preserve the environment for future generations.

For 50 years, PADF’s mandate has been to fuse public and private resources to support development in Latin America and the Caribbean. PADF, therefore, is a respected leader in the mobilization of corporate and other private sector funding. PADF works with many corporations interested in investing socially in the region. Innovative models include leveraging significant private contributions to match public funds; implementing mutually defined development and humanitarian initiatives; engaging business networks such as American Chambers of Commerce throughout the region; and partnering with businesses that want to deliver in-kind donations such as equipment, tools and medical equipment and supplies.

Facilitating South-South Exchanges and Cross-Border Cooperation

South-South cooperation continues to expand as some emerging economies are playing a more active role in the development of their own countries and that of the region around them. This strategy is increasing the exchange of knowledge, technology and resources among developing nations. PADF and the Organization of American States encourage member states to develop and expand cooperation in areas where they have unique expertise, technical assistance and training resources. The OAS-PADF program along the border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic is an example of such an effort.